Only 19 Players Remain, from the Pre Lovie/Licht Era

Breaking Down Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft By Rick Brown , Contributor Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press The NFL draft is over, and optimism is high with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs drafted well and were able to fill some huge holes in their roster.Tampa Bay got help at quarterback and on the offensive line, while adding depth at linebacker and wide receiver.There are still questions that remain.Do the Bucs have that edge-rusher needed to make the Cover 2 defense work? Will the new linemen be able to come in and help Tampa Bay establish a running attack? Can the secondary continue to make plays like it did during the final six games of the 2014 season?But there is an even bigger question the Bucs have to answer: Do they have enough on this current roster to not only get out of last place in the NFC South but to also compete for a division title?QuarterbackChris O'Meara/Associated Press After last season, when neither veteran Josh McCown nor Mike Glennon was able to do much with the offense, the Bucs knew their primary offseason move was to get a quarterback.Thus, the Bucs jettisoned McCown and drafted quarterback Jameis Winston with the No. 1 pick. Tampa Bay has not said Winston is the starter, and the rookie has said he wants to work to earn the job. Still, the writing is on the wall for Glennon, who will likely be on the bench when the season starts.Glennon had his chance the last two years to prove he was the starter but failed.Glennon was 4-9 in his rookie season and 1-4 last year as a starter. He is poised and throws a good deep ball as well as a nice mid-range ball. But Glennon has limited mobility and was done in not only by a poor line in 2014 and bad decision-making but also by simply not getting the job done.The Bucs seem to be content with using Glennon as their primary backup given their inactivity on the free-agent quarterback market.Winston was the jewel of the draft. He can make all the throws from the pocket and is a fierce competitor.Tampa Bay will be better if Winston can avoid off-the-field issues that took place in college and if he continues to work hard to better his craft. This is Winston's first season not playing baseball following football, so that should help his progression.The Bucs also have second-year pro Seth Lobato on the roster. He will likely be a candidate for the practice squad as Tampa Bay is likely to keep just two quarterbacks on the roster.Running BackPhelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press To say Tampa Bay struggled in this area last year would be kind. Only three teams ran for fewer yards in 2014 than the Bucs. Some of that is on the offensive line that didn't open up many holes or missed blocks. But some responsibility also falls on the backs themselves.If healthy, the Bucs can boast a very good and deep stable of running backs. The question is, can the backs stay healthy?Doug Martin, a former first-round draft pick and Rookie of the Year candidate, has fought injuries the last two seasons. Last year, he looked tentative running the ball until late in the season, where he showed some of the flash and dash of his rookie season.Charles Sims has earned a potential increased role in 2015. After missing the first eight games last year, he showed some of the running and pass-catching ability NFL teams seem to like in an NFL back. Will this be the year the former third-round back challenges Martin for the starting job?Also in the mix is Bobby Rainey, who can do it all. He settled in as the team's third-down back last year but had some problems with fumbles early in the season. Will Sims take over in that capacity?Mike James played some fullback when Jorvorskie Lane went down and came in on 3rd-and-short situations. A solid locker-room guy, he doesn't have that burst the other three rushers have and will have to work to make the squad.Lane will have competition with rookie Joey Iosefa for the fullback spot. Lane missed the last part of the year with a leg injury. Not having a fullback hurt the Bucs in the running game. Is he recovered? Can he hold off the rookie, who is not only a good blocker but also a better pass-catcher?This will be an intense competition during training camp for the Bucs, who need a running attack to help their rookie quarterback.Wide ReceiverChris O'Meara/Associated Press Even with bad quarterback play, Tampa Bay got solid contributions from receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. The duo both had 1,000-yard seasons, the first time that has ever happened in a season for the Bucs.Jackson was the steady, consistent veteran, who benefited when teams wanted to double or shade the safety over to the deep-threat Evans.Louis Murphy became a solid third receiver until he got hurt. No other receiver had more than six catches, which was tough when injuries happened.The Bucs may have gotten deeper with fifth-round pick Kenny Bell from Nebraska. The all-time leading receiver for the Huskers, Bell at best could challenge Murphy for the third slot. Anything, he can add depth to the position.Russell Shepard is a solid special teams player and spot player. Tight EndChris O'Meara/Associated Press The tight end position was up-and-down for the Bucs in 2014, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins' season was a microcosm of that.He was sixth on the team with 21 receptions, but the rookie was hampered by untimely penalties and injuries that soured his season. His blocking got better the more he played.The Bucs should be hoping he becomes that big-play target he was in college.All of the Tampa Bay tight ends suffered injuries at one point last season. Brandon Myers is a superb blocker and led the tight ends with 22 catches. Luke Stocker has not lived to his big-play potential but instead has become a good two-way player.Taylor Sloat and Evan Rodriguez add depth to the position.Offensive LineGene J. Puskar/Associated Press The crux of the Bucs' offensive woes in 2014 was because of the inadequate play of the offensive line. Despite totally revamping the line with four new starters, the line struggled to open up holes in the running game or protect the quarterbacks on a consistent basis.Thus, Tampa Bay drafted two linemen in the second round in the 2015 draft. Donovan Smith will be the left tackle unless he loses the job. He's an experienced left tackle and will have veteran guard Logan Mankins to help his progression.Ali Marpet will be given the chance to start at right guard. The concern is if he can make the successful jump from Division III to the NFL. If he succeeds, he will have Evan Dietrich-Smith at center and right tackle Demar Dotson to help him grow. If he doesn't start, he will provide a valuable backup.Patrick Omameh, who started 15 games at right tackle, will have a chance to hold off Marpet.Tackle Kevin Pamphile got some time on the field most recently as a rookie. He should provide depth, along with Garrett Gilkey and Kadeem Edwards, who spent most of the season on injured reserve.If the rookies come through, the Bucs' offense will dramatically improve.Defensive LineNam Y. Huh/Associated Press In order for the Cover 2 defense to be effective, the front four unit has to create pressure without any blitzing. Tampa Bay must be able to get more than 36 sacks.The Bucs have one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL in Gerald McCoy. He led the team in sacks last season before finishing the season on injured reserve.Clinton McDonald provided a solid veteran presence beside McCoy. Akeem Spencer is still learning, and the Bucs also brought in Henry Melton.Jacquies Smith came out of nowhere to become a solid left defensive end, finishing second on the team in sacks. Free-agent acquisition Michael Johnson never stayed healthy and was cut in the offseason.Tampa Bay traded for George Johnson to add support, while William Gholston has been asked to play both end and tackle. T.J. Fatinikun is young but has promise.We'll see if the Bucs can do this with the current roster or add some veteran help.LinebackersTony Dejak/Associated Press Linebackers in the Cover 2 are supposed to be the team's playmakers. Tampa Bay is starting to get them.Lavonte David has been called one of the best 4-3 weak-side linebackers in the NFL. Often compared to former Bucs Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, Davis is fast moving sideline-to-sideline and isn't afraid to meet a running back in the hole.Danny Lansanah was the most consistent linebacker for the team last season. Starting at each linebacker position at one time this season, Lansanah returned two interceptions for touchdowns and was second on the team in tackles.The Bucs did not re-sign middle linebacker Mason Foster but brought in free agent Bruce Carter to take that position. Orie Lemon provides depth and got a significant amount of time last year.Tampa Bay also will count on fourth-round pick Kwon Alexander from LSU. Expected to compete with Lansanah for a starting spot, Alexander will provide depth to a position hit hard in 2014 by injuries.SecondaryJeff Haynes/Associated Press It took some time for the Tampa Bay secondary to get comfortable playing in the Cover 2 defense. But they got better as the year went on. With a year in the system, the back end should be even better.The corner who made the biggest improvement was second-year corner Johnthan Banks.Banks led the team with 10 pass breakups and four interceptions. By the end of the year, he was the team's best cornerback.Free-agent signee Alterraun Verner started to get comfortable later in the year. He was fourth on the team in tackles, had nine pass breakups and made two interceptions.This year, Mike Jenkins will likely come off the bench and into the rotation, while Sterling Moore, Leonard Johnson and Isaiah Frey will compete for the nickel spot.That should be another good competition during training camp to see who comes away with the nickel job. Tampa Bay only got one interception out of Johnson and Frey last year and five pass breakups. That is not enough.Bradley McDougald worked his way into the starting lineup at safety and should be there again this year. Major Wright was brought back, but Dashon Goldson is now in Washington. Free agent Chris Conte knows the position and will solidify the defense.Keith Tandy is a versatile player who can play either safety spot or even corner.Special TeamsBrian Blanco/Associated Press The special teams unit was very inconsistent in 2014 and will see some changes. The unit has to play better for the Bucs to have a good year.Kicker Patrick Murray, in his first year, made 20 of 24 field goals, including five of six from 50 yards or more. He was clutch in a tough season for the Bucs.Punter Michael Koenen struggled last year, with a net average of 37.1 yards. He will be challenged by Andrew Wilder in camp this year.Tampa Bay was pretty ordinary in kickoff returns, and while it was eighth in punt-return average, the team also had four fumbles.The Bucs hope rookie Kaelin Clay, sixth-round pick out of Utah, can change that. Clay averaged 15.0 yards per punt return and returned three for touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown last year. He will be given the chance to do the same for the Bucs.Tampa Bay's kickoff-coverage unit struggled in the early portion of the season but played better down the stretch. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.link